Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beirut and Medellin

For one person, living costs are similar in Beirut and in Medellin: $1,644 and $1,589 a month, rent and utilities included.

81

Cost of Living Index in Beirut
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Beirut Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

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Beirut

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,644

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beirut and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Beirut and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,644 in Beirut versus $1,589 in Medellin.

Beirut $1,644
Medellin $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,637 in Beirut versus $2,364 in Medellin.

Beirut $2,637
Medellin $2,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,629 in Beirut versus $3,139 in Medellin.

Beirut $3,629
Medellin $3,139

Living in Beirut is roughly 3% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Beirut 23% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 LBP 1.1M

$8.01 COP 25.5K

51.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 LBP 6.3M

$46.55 COP 148.3K

50.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 LBP 880.6K

$9.43 COP 30.1K

4.35%

Cappuccino

$4.45 LBP 398.4K

$2.91 COP 9,277

52.92%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 LBP 214.0K

$1.75 COP 5,585

36.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 LBP 80.7K

$1.32 COP 4,218

-31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 LBP 435.3K

$3.13 COP 9,969

55.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 LBP 432.7K

$5.55 COP 17.7K

-12.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 LBP 179.3K

$1.41 COP 4,495

41.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 LBP 75.2K

$2.44 COP 7,777

-65.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 LBP 209.4K

$1.63 COP 5,191

43.56%

Eggs

$3.55 LBP 318.0K

$2.82 COP 8,990

25.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.02 LBP 986.7K

$9.69 COP 30.9K

13.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 LBP 963.3K

$9.32 COP 29.7K

15.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.62 LBP 1.3M

$13.46 COP 42.9K

8.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 LBP 280.3K

$4.00 COP 12.8K

-21.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 LBP 153.0K

$1.48 COP 4,719

15.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 LBP 150.7K

$2.12 COP 6,768

-20.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 LBP 135.7K

$2.25 COP 7,178

-32.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 LBP 111.2K

$1.91 COP 6,092

-35.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 LBP 142.4K

$1.62 COP 5,160

-1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LBP 108.6K

$1.15 COP 3,658

5.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 LBP 61.1K

$1.26 COP 4,021

-46.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 LBP 273.5K

$3.82 COP 12.2K

-19.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 LBP 976.2K

$13.11 COP 41.8K

-16.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 LBP 119.2K

$1.60 COP 5,083

-16.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 LBP 232.0K

$2.26 COP 7,188

14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 LBP 202.7K

$1.17 COP 3,731

93.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 LBP 6.8M

$75.0 COP 239.0K

1.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 LBP 441.5K

$1.27 COP 4,056

288.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 LBP 196.6K

$2.05 COP 6,531

7.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.38 LBP 2.0M

$8.20 COP 26.1K

172.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 LBP 93.6K

$1.27 COP 4,046

-17.32%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$54.0K LBP 4.8B

$26.8K COP 85.3M

101.74%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.8K LBP 2.9B

$34.4K COP 109.6M

-4.74%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$231 LBP 20.6M

$162 COP 516.9K

42.22%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.10 LBP 2.0M

$13.12 COP 41.8K

68.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.83 LBP 3.4M

$28.09 COP 89.5K

34.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.5 LBP 7.7M

$44.33 COP 141.2K

92.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.08 LBP 3.1M

$16.33 COP 52.0K

108.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 LBP 896.8K

$6.09 COP 19.4K

64.53%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$678 LBP 60.7M

$764 COP 2.4M

-11.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K LBP 951.6M

$8,904 COP 28.4M

19.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 LBP 6.0M

$85.0 COP 270.8K

-21.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.54 LBP 4.3M

$57.5 COP 183.2K

-15.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 LBP 12.3M

$132 COP 419.8K

4.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 LBP 10.6M

$95.8 COP 305.1K

23.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 LBP 84.5M

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-8.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 LBP 43.7M

$604 COP 1.9M

-19.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 LBP 197.2M

$1,802 COP 5.7M

22.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 LBP 94.8M

$993 COP 3.2M

6.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,927 LBP 351.5M

$3,921 COP 12.5M

0.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,848 LBP 165.4M

$1,639 COP 5.2M

12.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 LBP 62.9M

$626 COP 2.0M

12.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

0.55%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Beirut: October 3, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Beirut

$488 29.5%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 23.8% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beirut

$291 17.6%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 30% $87

Groceries & Markets

Beirut

$277 16.7%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 4.3% $12

Eating Out

Beirut

$227 13.7%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 26.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Beirut

$167 10.1%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 0.2% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Beirut

$106 6.4%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 46.5% $49

Getting Around

Beirut

$101 6.1%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 9.6% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $944 in Beirut and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Beirut pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Beirut vs $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $288, with Beirut cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇧 Beirut

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

01:22 1:22 AM

8 h behind Beirut

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,916,100 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.96 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to LBP – Lebanese Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇧 Lebanese Pound (ل.ل)

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,381 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.96 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

USD to LBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Beirut Medellin 11,530 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

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Beirut
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Beirut vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Beirut, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $944 in Beirut versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,644 per month in Beirut versus $1,589 in Medellin – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 1% less than in Beirut. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,589 in Medellin versus $1,644 in Beirut, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Beirut. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Beirut, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Beirut. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.